A recent HSE Enforcement control measure was put in place in February this year to protect employees and members of the public from the risks associated with inhalation of welding fumes. Go to the HSE website for more information.

This latest HSE Enforcement sets out a number of improvements that must be adhered to with regards to the use of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) when operatives are carrying out mild steel welding activities.

As a result of this Loading Systems invested £60k on equipping all our technician’s vehicles with both RPE and LEV to ensure total compliance, which we are proud to say we were able to do within just 3 months of the enforcement being put in place.

We already have two customers who have introduced a zero-tolerance policy on deviating from the enforcement requirements, as they understand the importance and seriousness of complying with HSE requirements. When you ignore the enforcement then you are not managing the risk!!

The steps that Loading Systems have taken to comply with this HSE Enforcement are as follows:

Procurement of the relevant RPE and LEV to be issued to all technicians

Revise our Hot Works RAMS to include the use of appropriate RPE and LEV

Issue and train all operatives in the correct use of the RPE and LEV in accordance with revised RAMS (this will be carried out through a combination of training and Tool Box Talks)

Arrange site based surveillance audits to test the effectiveness of the revised method of working, and where necessary implement any improvements

We are now in a position to demonstrate total compliance with this Enforcement and urge you to use a reputable company like Easilift Loading Systems to ensure you stay safe and compliant – it is not worth taking the risk by using less professional companies.